Neil Smith, Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald Journalist Profile

Articles

Ardrossan businesses warn local economy is crashing due to lack of ferries

3 days ago | ardrossanherald.com | Neil Smith

Traders relying on business from the island and from the tourist trade revealed they've struggled badly in recent months. Ahead of the expected return of MV Caledonian Isles to the Ardrossan-Brodick service next week, the Herald headed out to speak to nearby businesses as they brace themselves for more difficult times.
Ayrshire MSP's bid to prosecute politicians who wipe vital WhatsApp messages

3 days ago | ardrossanherald.com | Neil Smith

The North Ayrshire politician says her new Freedom of Information Bill would shake up the laws on such messages being deleted. If passed, the new legislation will make it a criminal offence to deliberately or recklessly erase anything in advance that could be requested under freedom of information laws. It would make it an offence to erase WhatsApps and texts like those deleted by Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney during the Covid pandemic.
Ayrshire team The Three Stooges head off on 120km walk for charity

3 days ago | ardrossanherald.com | Neil Smith

Glengarnock's George Collins, 46, and his son Louis, 15, will be joined by their friend Brian Scott, 33, from Glasgow, on the walk in aid of the Beatson Cancer Charity, the National Autistic Society and Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH). They trio will leave from Glengarnock on September 20 heading to Linwood, Greenock, Largs, then Irvine before heading back to the Garnock Valley town. They reckon the trek will take them around 26 hours to complete.
Scottish Forestry issue Stop Notice to end tree felling at Seafield School site

3 days ago | ardrossanherald.com | Neil Smith

3 1/1 FORESTRY regulators have issued a temporary 'Stop' notice to prohibit further tree felling at Ardrossan's former Seafield School. The Herald reported last week that site owners McLaughlin Construction had angered neighbours after cutting down dozens of trees around the dilapidated building. The company said that the move had been made after complaints about the trees from other neighbours. And bosses pledged to plant new trees to replace the old ones.
Death after beach incident prompts fears of Scotland-wide teen knife epidemic

3 days ago | ardrossanherald.com | Neil Smith

They reveal that a 10-year-old boy was among 91 cases of under-18s caught in possession of a bladed weapon last year. That's roughly one case every four days. Statistics also confirmed that at least one 12-year-old boy from Ayrshire was caught with a knife in 2024. Now, politicians have called for action to end the youth crime "epidemic". Kayden Moy, 16, of East Kilbride, died after an incident on Irvine beach as hundreds of youths gathered in the hot weather on Saturday, May 17.
Girlguiding volunteers deliver more than £1m of youth work in Ayrshire

4 days ago | ardrossanherald.com | Neil Smith

The charity, which supports almost 40,000 girls and just under 9,000 brilliant volunteers, has calculated the cost of youth work from if volunteers were paid as qualified workers. And it showcases the overall saving for their Ayrshire North team which covers North Ayrshire and Kilmarnock.
CalMac confirms return of MV Caledonian Isles ferry after delays

4 days ago | thenational.scot | Neil Smith

The ferry company confirmed on Tuesday that the vessel - which has been out of action since January 2024 when it went in for its annual service - will now return on Thursday, June 12. Until Tuesday, the ageing vessel had been expected back on June 9. The ferry has been undergoing extensive repairs for a year and a half but will enter dry dock this week for the final stages of work.
Kilwinning Academy's Footloose production gets £500 boost from building firm

4 days ago | ardrossanherald.com | Neil Smith

The company donated £500 towards the school’s end-of-term show, helping pay for costumes, stage design, and production costs. And their help was vital in allowing the students to create an unforgettable experience. Taylor Wimpey are behind the new Kilwinning housing development at Willow Gardens. A spokesperson for the production team at Kilwinning Academy said: “The students have worked tirelessly for weeks on this production, and they are excited to get their first night under their belt.
Arran's COAST group lands £100k funding to help save marine life

4 days ago | ardrossanherald.com | Neil Smith

2 1/1 A community-led charity on Arran has been awarded £100,000 to expand its consultations in a crucial next step in protecting and restoring Scotland’s seas. The Community of Arran Seabed Trust, or COAST, won funding from Rewilding Britain as part of the charity’s annual Challenge Fund – an initiative that supports the scaling up of rewilding in Britain. The funding will support COAST’s rewilding project 'Communities and the sea: Exploring our Coastal Waters'.
Council reveals new plan for collecting bulky waste items including sofas

5 days ago | ardrossanherald.com | Neil Smith

At a meeting of the council's cabinet, officers will deliver a report into the new requirement to separately collect Waste Upholstered Domestic (WUD) seating items such as sofas, futons, cushions, stools and electrical reclining chairs. Studies have shown that these items contain Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), which are chemicals and can be harmful to the environment.